1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a low cost, easily operable locking device to prevent small children from raising a toilet seat lid and gaining access to the water filled toilet bowl.
2. Prior Art
A toilet bowl filled with water often attracts small, unattended children and, consequently, poses a potential safety hazard. A child as young two years in age is usually capable of raising a toilet lid, whereby to gain access to the toilet bowl. It is therefore desirable to restrict access to the toilet bowl so as to prevent the child from accidentlly falling or throwing foreign objects into the bowl whereby to avoid injury and possible plumbing repair costs.
In the past, Velcro hook and loop fasteners have been secured to opposing surfaces of the toilet seat and lid. A sufficient upward force must be exerted upon the lid to separate the fasteners from one another and raise the lid off the seat. However, such fasteners are sometimes inconveniently positioned on the toilet seat so as to make using the seat uncomfortable. Other conventional means for preventing access to the toilet bowl involves complicated catch or lock mechanisms which are typically expensive and/or hard to operate. Accordingly, no low cost, easily operable apparatus is known which is adapted to reliably and releasably secure a toilet lid in the closed position above a toilet seat to deny access to the toilet bowl therebelow.